Sun glare is incredibly distracting when indoors. Even worse, it can cause short-term and long-term issues with eye health. Subsequently, it is important to minimize glare when possible and save your eyes from sun glare. For homeowners and businesses, this may mean implementing certain protective products around your home, office or commercial location. By learning more about the effects of sun glare on your eye health (when sun glare is at its worst) and the benefits of glare control, you can make a more informed decision onas to what actions you should take to reduce glare. First, we’ll talk about the damage sun glare can do to your eyes and how our eyes are confronted with sun glare outdoors. Then, because sun glare also exists when you are inside your home or office, we’ll cover how you can protect your eyes indoors.
Is Sun Glare Bad for Your Eyes?
While most understand that staring at the sun or excessive sun exposure outdoors is bad for the eyes, many are surprised to hear that sun exposure indoors can have both a short-term and long-term impact on eye health as well. In the short-term, too much sun glare can make your eyes feel sore, dry, and itchy. It can also affect appearance, making the person’s eyes red and appear tired. More notably, sun glare can have a detrimental impact on long-term eye health. Too much sun exposure increases the risk of a range of conditions, including:
- Cataracts
- Pterygium
- Photokeratitis
- Skin cancer
A cataract is a condition in which the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy and causes the individual’s view to become obstructed. Cataracts tend to develop slowly over time, and often require a minor surgical procedure to treat. Pterygium refers to an abnormal growth in the corner of the eye, which can also cause an issue with vision. Photokeratitis is serious but often more temporary, and it includes a burning sensation of the cornea. The risk of photokeratitis is higher around the beach or in snowy areas. Lastly, skin cancer around the eye is more likely when there is excessive exposure to sun glare.
Water and Snow Make Sun Glare Worse
The potential risks of sun glare are the worst when around water and snow. Therefore, you should be even more aware and careful of sun glare around the beach, mountains, and in other waterfront areas or locations that receive a lot of snow. Most understand the importance of eye protection when outdoors, but it is also important to stop sun glare indoors as well (see Benefits of Glare Control Window Film below). The reason water, sand, and snow can make sun glare worse is because of their reflective properties. UV rays can essentially bounce off water and snow, causing a high concentration of UV rays to hit the cornea directly. In a sense, too much sun glare around water and snow is like sunburn to your cornea. As mentioned previously, perhaps the biggest risk of sun glare around water and snow is photokeratitis, which many refer to as “snow blindness.” Photokeratitis occurs when your corneas receive too many UV rays, causing a burning sensation and an inability to see properly. It is a temporary condition, but it can lead to long-term issues if it happens regularly.
Windows Reflect the Sun
Windows also have a reflective property, and they can cause UV rays to affect the eyes as well. Similar to how a similar way, water and snow can reflect solar flares directly toward our cornea, windows. Windows also cause a disruptive concentration of UV rays and can cause a severe distraction in the short-term and potentially contribute to long-term complications.
Benefits of Glare Control Window Film
Fortunately, there is an effective way to deal with solar glare while indoors. Glare control window film can ensure your home receives the optimal amount of natural light to make it comfortable and looking great, while also keeping out disruptive or potentially harmful sun glare. There are a range of benefits of window film created specifically for glare control, including:
- Sun protection
- Ideal lighting
- Increased productivity
- Saves energy
- Cost effective
Perhaps most notably, glare control window film keeps high amounts of UV rays out of your home or business, which provides sun protection and promotes good eye health. However, it still allows natural light to shine through, which provides ideal lighting that is not too bright or dark, but rather contributes to a comfortable atmosphere. For homes, glare control window film can make your house feel cozier, and it can provide a more productive atmosphere for businesses. It also can help with climate control inside your home or business, helping you keep energy usage and utility costs down.
Invite Experts for a Consultation
If you are interested in learning more about how to stop sun glare inside of your home or business, get in touch with our sun glare professionals to arrange a time for a consultation. Our friendly team is more than happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with more insights on the benefits, cost, and more of glare control window film.